The intrigue in the politics of Bayelsa state is getting deeper in the count-down to the November governorship poll. This time, the wife of the governor, Mrs Rachel Dickson, is at the forefront of campaign for her husband’s preferred candidate. JOY EMMANUEL writes on this and other landmark achievements of the woman.
While more women show visible interest and participation in political activities, others queue behind their contesting husbands, giving more color to the electioneering.
The wife of Bayelsa state governor, Mrs Rachael Dickson,is no doubt a voice in the midst of women in active politics particularly in supporting and campaigning for their spouses. Ironically, her husband, Serieke Dickson, is not in the race but sure has a successor. It is the success of this successor of her husband that Mrs Rachael said made her to step up supports for the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The Bayelsa first lady is a woman with many beautiful partsoften described as a pillar of strength to her husband and women of the state, who appreciate her for her godly attribute.
For instance, she is known to be highly religious; to some, she is a girl-child activist, and others say she’s a prayer warrior and well known in the things of God.
Blueprint investigation reveals that her weekly prayer sessionwith the women of the state has never abated since she started. It is an area where she gives counselto women and urges them to make meaningful impact on their children in particular and the state in general. With these, many persons in some quarters had nicknamed her as the ‘Kneeling Excellency’. Whatever that means is to her credit.
Her advocacy roles exemplified
With the emergence of Governor Dickson in 2012, Mrs Rachael became the first lady and her Koyefa Foundation gave hope to all and sundry. Investigation also reveals that her major focus is on the girl-child rights, a fight she carries out with all her strength and utmost commitment.
With a brilliant mind, requisite competence, focused drive and unfaltering commitment, she is pursuing the cause of education and improvement of women despite the challenges and obstacles faced by the Ijaw girl.
According to her, “In every family, there is a woman flying a flag; if we must have a bright future, we need to educate our girl child. You can make it if you dream it.”
Mrs Dickson’s pet project under her Friday Konyefa Foundation has rescued a lot of female children and helped younger people in terms of health care, education and rehabilitating the aged. Because of this, many people refer to her as ‘mother’ due to her humanitarian gesture; her love for kids knows no bound as she is seen as a child right activist. Her love for children, according to analysts is a rare quality that can only be compared to that of the late Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales.
Mrs Dickson worried over the number of avoidable deaths resulting from pregnancy, stressed that most of them would not have occurred if adequate care was given to the women
She said the state government was concerned about the wellbeing of pregnant women and had evolved measures to save pregnant women and reduce infant and maternal mortality rate, including paying them monthly stipends and other benefits, until they safely deliver of their baby.
She said she was optimistic that the government’s policy of providing support for pregnant women in the state would greatly help women.
Mrs. Dickson said that every pregnant woman in the state is very important to the government as the nine months’ period of their pregnancy is very sensitive and requires the needed attention.
“We will be paying our women who are pregnant monthly to ensure they are able to buy whatever they need. We will also care for them medically to ensure that cases of maternal and infant mortality are reduced.
“Most of the deaths you hear of involving pregnant women could have been avoided if they were well cared for. We are concerned about such avoidable deaths and by God’s grace will reduce and even stop it,” she said.
She called on pregnant women to take advantage of the offer by visiting government-owned hospitals and be mindful of foods that are not good for them during their pregnancy.
Mrs Dickson is also a lover of books as she has also authored over 30 books. Often times, she charges the Ijaw girl child to imbibe a sense of responsibility despite being affected and afflicted with debilitating stories.
During her first Bayelsa Women Summit 2012 to mark the maiden edition of the programme, Mrs. Dickson pointed out that her legacy is to see that Ijaw girls become professionals in their chosen areas with a voice to reckon with in the entire Nigerian society.
She stated that with the present administration’s emphasis on
compulsory education, Bayelsa will thrive to produce professionals in many fields in the likes of Mrs Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and the Nigerian renowned fiction writer, Chimanda Adichie, from the state, challenging that if they can stand up and be committed her foundation would provide scholarships to them for studies in order to redirect their future for the good of their respective families and the state in general.
Mrs. Dickson averred that the initiative would be pursued vigorously to a conclusive end with a view to overcoming the challenges of illiteracy among the girl child. She reiterated that no Ijaw girl would be condemned over any past mistake made whether willingly or unwillingly or forced on them by the circumstances of their livelihood.
“I don’t want any Ijaw girl to be condemned over any mistake she may have made whether willingly or enforced on her through peer influence. We should be conscious of where we are heading to in the next 20 years when we see our daughters, sisters and mother’s future taken from them because of their past mistakes.”
Continuing further, she said, “Every Ijaw woman should know that we can’t be at the bottom; our voice must be heard in Nigeria. We should be able to stand with our peers; the only thing we need is education. We mothers have a price to pay and it must be paid now so that our children can be educated; our daughters
must go to school instead of giving them money, education should rather be used, we need to sacrifice for them now.”
